Just two years after its establishment, ASSITEJ Pakistan conducted its first Next Generation Program 2018 at the City of Gardens, Lahore, Pakistan. This was not an easy task for many reasons : being a new project raising resources for NG was a challenge, as well as the evolving working relationship of the ASSITEJ members and foreigners being invited to the event in Pakistan. The group worked hard to learn fast, to raise resources for NG since it already had produced a large national Tamasha Theatre Festival 2017, and Assitej Asia meeting 2017, and answering queries from the participants about the security situation in Pakistan, as it is usually presented in international media.
It was a pleasant surprise when ASSITEJ Pakistan received more than 70 applications nationally and internationally. The call was promoted through the national centers, member organizations and ASSITEJ international network. 21 participants were selected, and 11 were international. The final group consisted of theatre makers from 11 countries.
The following International Participants were selected for the Next Generation Program:
Daniela Krabbe (Germany), Gillian Rhodes (USA), Navodini Kaushalya (Sri Lanka), Derman Gülmez Aydın (Turkey), Anja Pletikosa (Croatia), Shabana Saya (Switzerland), Attila Antal (Hungary), Timofei Tkachev (Belarus), Eliot Moleba (South Africa), Sudarshana Bandara (Sri Lanka), Janessa Louise Roque (Philippine).
The following Pakistani Participants were selected for the NG:
Ibrahim Rana , Talha Ahsen, Alyzay Ali, Fatima Maan, Areeba Kirmani, Saba ijaz, Imran, Kashif Tareen, Sohaib Khan, Sabahat
Two theatrical presentations were produced by the NG participants, and showed publically at the end of the six days program. The performance was witnessed by good number of audiences.
Assitej Pakistan is considering to host this program each year in Pakistan.
